This invention relates to an animal trap and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to an animal trap which does not result in damage to the animal when trapped.
Prior art animal traps are generally based on the closing jaw principle where a set of opposing jaws, when tripped, move towards one another to clamp the animal""s leg therebetween. The jaws usually have teeth on the sides to bite into the flesh of the animal to prevent escape. The trap is fastened to the ground with a chain and the animal can thrash about trying to remove the trap from its leg. Such traps are cruel as animals may break a leg, or bleed to death, until the hunter returns to check the traps. Unfortunately, traps do not distinguish between pests, harmless wildlife and even humans. Although the traps may be set for rabbits or foxes, it is likely that harmless native wildlife or a human being may trip the trap.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an animal trap which does not rely on the clamping to a limb to capture the animal.
A further object of the invention is to provide an animal trap which causes less stress to the captured animal and reduces the risk of damage to the animal.
With these and other objects in view the present invention provides an animal trap including at least one base member for providing contact of said trap with the ground, at least one frame member arranged with respect to said at least one base member, a release mechanism for holding, in use, said at least one frame member under tension above the ground and netting attached to said at least one frame member whereby, in use, when said release mechanism is tripped by an animal entering said trap, said at least one tensioned frame member pulls said netting over said animal as said at least one frame member falls to the ground when said tension is released.
Preferably said at least one frame member is a loop which lies on the ground in its released position and where a portion thereof is held above the ground when under tension. In one practical embodiment a rod is coiled to form a pair of substantially co-axial loops where the free ends of said rod are adjacent each other whereby one loop forms said at least one base member and the other loop forms said at least one frame member. Preferably one of said free ends is pivotally attached to a frame element secured to said one loop and the other of said free ends is secured to said frame element.
In a further practical embodiment a rod is coiled to form a pair of substantially co-axial loops where the free ends of said rod are adjacent each other on opposing sides of said coiled rod whereby a part of each loop forms a pair of base members and the other part of each loop forms a pair of frame members.